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Fried Mac & Cheese Bites

Serves

24

Total Time

5 hr

Difficulty

Hard

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Fried mac and cheese bites, as featured on the Drew Barrymore show.

Recipe-

Summary

i first tried these at a bowling alley and my life has been forever changed. i add my own touch by piling on the cheese, heavy cream, and seasoning. they’re easier to make than you may think; most of the work is in the prep. be patient! it’s so worth it.

Ingredients

FOR THE PASTA

  • 1 (16 oz.) box elbow macaroni
  • 4 tbsp. butter
  • 3 ½ tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
  • ½ cup half and half
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • 1 tsp. black pepper
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • ½ cup shredded gruyere cheese

FOR THE BREADING

  • 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp. onion powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 ½ tsp. dried oregano
  • 1 ½ tsp. dried parsley
  • 1 tsp. italian seasoning
  • 1 quart vegetable oil
  • 1 pinch flakey salt
  • 1 sprig chopped italian parsley
  • sprinkle of parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13 casserole dish.
  2. bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil, and cook pasta 9-12 minutes until al dente. drain and set aside.
  3. in a large saucepan, create a roux by melting butter over medium heat and whisking in flour until a paste forms. then add salt, pepper, and seasonings and whisk to combine.
  4. lower heat and slowly incorporate milk, half and half, and heavy whipping cream. increase heat and bring to a boil.
  5. remove from heat and add shredded cheese, stirring in ¼ cup at a time until to form the cheese sauce.
  6. add cooked pasta and mix until pasta is fully coated with sauce.
  7. pour pasta into the casserole dish, and bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 mins.
  8. remove from oven and let cool to room temperature.
  9. refrigerate pasta for at least 4 hours (up to overnight) or place in freezer for an hour before proceeding.
  10. once chilled, cut macaroni into 1 inch cubes.
  11. create a breading station with 3 shallow bowls. in the first bowl, add 1 cup flour. in the second, crack and whisk 2 eggs. in the third bowl, add panko and seasonings.
  12. begin breading process by rolling each cube first into the flour mixture, then eggs, then panko breadcrumbs. (pro tip: use one hand to coat in egg, and the other to coat in the dry mixtures to minimize the mess!)
  13. in a large frying pan, heat vegetable oil to 350°F and fry macaroni bites for 2-3 minutes. (keep an eye on them, they cook quickly!)
  14. remove from oil and set to cool on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
  15. sprinkle bites with flakey salt, chopped parsley and parmesan cheese!

Fried Mac & Cheese Bites